january/february 2019 - dd214...

The Newspaper for Veterans and All Who Love Them.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

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DD 214 Chronicle January/February 2019 3www.dd214chronicle.com ✩

VOLUME 8 NUMBER 7

The Newspaper for Veterans and

All Who Love Them.

PUBLISHER EMERITUS Terence J. Uhl

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR John H. Tidyman (216) 789-3502

[email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Ann Marie Stasko (216) 704-5227

ART DIRECTOR Matt Kuhns

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS JC Sullivan Eli Beachy

Jerri Donohue Darlene Johnson Nancy Peacock Barry Goodrich

DD 214 CHRONICLE IS PUBLISHED BY John H. Tidyman

3280 Glenbar Drive Fairview Park, Ohio 44126

For subscription information call (216) 789-3502

Editorial Statement

DD214 Chronicle is committed to its readers: Veterans of every generation and all who love

them. The printed newspaper is delivered across northern Ohio without charge: More than 60

libraries, colleges and universities that welcome veteran students, VFW and American Legion

posts, city halls, Veteran Administration offices and health care facilities, organizations in

support of veterans, advertisers, political offices, and Veteran Service Commissions. DD214

Chronicle also maintains dd214chronicle.com and DD214 Chronicle/Facebook.

•The Chronicle would not exist without its

advertisers. Make the effort to patronize them.John H. Tidyman, editor

198th Light Infantry BrigadeAmerical Division(216) 789-3502

forgedironstidyman@gmail

STAND AT EASE By John H. Tidyman, Editor

Ever know someone with a dishonorable discharge? Years ago, I knew one, but

not for long. I was working as a waiter and he was a dishwasher.

Not for long. When manage-ment found out he had been dishonorably discharged from the military, he was immediately fired.

A shame, because it was obvious his job was the only one he could find.

A DD is permanent, a life sentence, and one of the most severe punishments in America. His discharge becomes a weighted chain never to be lightened.

In addition to being denied all benefits accorded honorably-discharged veterans, veteran organiza-tions such as AMVETS want nothing to do with vet-erans dishonorably discharged.

When I think of the dishwasher fired for having a dishonorable discharge, I wonder: what damage has he done to himself? Does he have to lie when asked about his military service by a neighbor or colleague? Lie when filling out job applications? Lie when a child asks, “What did you do in the war?”

The effects of a dishonorable discharge are many, none positive. It can derail a career or stop the career

from ever beginning. No father wants his daughter in the arms of a man without honor. Veteran benefits—education, health care, home-buying, and a hundred more—are out of reach and always will be.

Is a dishonorable discharge too severe? Is this punish-ment greater than the crime?

Sometimes it is.It is the punishment that keeps on punishing.

Bowe Robert Bergdahl

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the

assessment that something else is more important

than fear. Franklin D. Roosevelt

I respect every soldier, from every country, who serves

beside us in the hard work of history. America is grateful, and America will not forget.

George W. Bush

On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation,

let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave

no veteran behind. Dan Lipinski

The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself

forgotten. Calvin Coolidge

✩4 DD 214 Chronicle January/February 2019 www.dd214chronicle.com

WASHINGTON — The results of a recent U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) customer experience feedback survey showed an average 2.4 percent increase in Veteran trust of VA hospitals during fiscal year (FY) 2018.

Beginning in fall 2017 through September 2018, VA surveyed 1,660,563 Veterans regarding their trust of VA health care outpatient services and found that the “trust scores” of 128 out of 139 VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) increased by an average of 2.4 percent by the end of FY 2018.

“Listening to our Veteran patients plays an important role in providing world class customer service,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA is not only listening to our Veterans, but we are taking action on their concerns as well as their recommendations to improve VA health care.”

The survey revealed Veterans were concerned with issues such as the accessibility of spe-cialty providers and services, while typical recommendations from Veterans incorporated ways to improve parking at facilities and methods of expediting access to medications.

VA began soliciting customer feedback in fall 2017, inviting Veterans to respond to a survey after completing a Veterans Health Administration outpatient service appointment. Trust was measured at the nationwide, hospital network and individual VAMC level. Veterans were asked to rate their trust of the VA on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). FY 2018’s customer experience feedback survey revealed 86 percent of Veterans surveyed “agreed” or “strongly agreed” to the trust question.

Veterans also had the option to leave free text responses in their outpatient-services sur-veys. They selected whether they were leaving a compliment, concern or recommendation. The 439,730 Veterans who participated in the customer experience feedback offered the following:

• 68.2 percent were compliments• 19 percent were concerns• 12.8 percent were recommendationsVA is implementing a customer experience feedback program across the entire depart-

ment in alignment with the Office of Management and Budget’s Circular A-11 guidance on establishing and managing a customer experience program. The program also supports the design of a federal customer-experience framework as prescribed by the President’s Manage-ment Agenda.

For more information on VA’s customer experience goals and progress, visit www.performance.gov.

FY 2018 survey shows increased trust from Veterans in VA hospitals

None of the color guard members of Firestone VFW Post 3383 had ever met Jessie Thomas “Tom” Staggers, but they gathered on the cold, windy morning of April 6 to provide the one-time Army cor-

poral’s graveside honors.Staggers was the 32nd veteran the 8-person team had honored since

New Year’s Day. Unlike military organizations that only conduct funeral protocol for

their own members, VFW Post 3383’s squad supplied a chaplain, bugler, and riflemen for 128 deceased veterans in 2017. Year after year, they offer military honors in heat, rain and snow at all cemeteries in Summit County and in Canton’s Sunset Hills.

Team member Holly Ann Grubaugh said she could not perform this final service for her friend, Jason John Hernandez, who died in Iraq on his 21st birthday.

“I did wear my Class A uniform to his funeral,” Grubaugh said. “I really wanted to be on Jason’s rifle team, but I couldn’t pull myself together to do it.”

A veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Grubaugh is the only female on the squad and its youngest member. She found a babysitter for her 2-year old daughter in order to participate in Staggers’ service.

“It’s my way of paying respects to all those who have come before me,” Grubaugh said.

Former Marine Richard Fogle’s late father-in-law recruited him for the honor guard in the early 1970s. These days, Ladies Auxiliary mem-ber Barbara Fogle (Fogle’s wife) serves as liaison with the funeral home whenever a veteran’s relatives request military honors. Richard Fogle then contacts the team, which includes veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. They represent all branches of the service with the excep-tion of the Coast Guard.

The group’s diverse composition results in ongoing, good-natured rib-bing. Grubaugh enjoys swapping stories with her older peers.

“We were all trained in a certain way, and we just get each other,” she said.

Over the years, Fogle participated in committal services for numerous strangers, including veterans of the First World War, and a survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Occasionally he knew the deceased.

“I buried a lot of good friends,” Fogle said. “That’s the toughest.” The Vietnam veteran noted that fewer mourners attend services for

very old vets. One day the post’s burial squad even filled in as pallbear-ers, removing the casket from the hearse because relatives could not do it.

“We’ve seen some strange things,” Fogle said. “Once they had the cops there because of family fighting.”

Health problems sidelined some of the team in recent months. With two or more burials a week, it is difficult for more than five members to perform their duties at any given funeral. They wish they had more help, but none plans to resign.

Although there is no charge for the color guard’s services, apprecia-tive relatives sometimes make donations to the post to help pay for uniforms and rifle maintenance.

The gratitude of veterans’ families often touches Fogle.“They want to thank you and thank you and thank you,” he said.

Small Burial Squad Provides Huge Service

By Jerri Donohue

“It’s my way of paying respects to

all those who have come

before me.”Holly Ann Grubaugh


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WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will assist GI Bill® students affected by the December closure of Education Corporation of America’s (ECA) approximately 70 campuses.

VA is in the process of identifying GI Bill beneficiaries currently enrolled at ECA and informing them of follow-on options.

If schools close in the middle of a term and Post-9/11 GI Bill students do not receive credit, they may be eligible for restoration of entitlement used during that term.

"ECA announced this closure with little warning for its students, including GI Bill beneficiaries. VA remains committed to serving affected Veterans and providing them with the means to continue pursuing their educational goals,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie.

On Dec. 4, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools notified ECA of its decision to withdraw, by suspension, the current grants of accreditation of all the institutions owned by Virginia College. On Dec. 5, ECA announced that it will be closing all its campuses in December 2018 for the following ECA brands:

• Brightwood College• Brightwood Career Institute• Ecotech Institute• Golf Academy of America• Virginia CollegeVA is working closely with the National Association of State

Approving Agencies to take the appropriate withdrawal actions by Jan. 1, 2019.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a VA-administered education benefit available to Veterans or active duty service members with qualifying active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001. Certain members of the Reserves who lost education benefits when the Reserve Educational Assistance Program ended in November 2015 may also be eligible to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

VA assists GI Bill beneficiaries with Education Corporation of America closure

I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way.

John Paul Jones

DD 214 Chronicle January/February 2019 7www.dd214chronicle.com ✩✩

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What follows is Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. I took the liberty of breaking it

into paragraphs so that more easily comment upon this glorious congre-gation of English prose.

“Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men (and women, of course,) are created equal.”

We are still dedicated to that proposition, that all men (and women, of course) are created equal.

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that na-tion or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that the nation might live.”

There is a new Civil War because of a great cultural divide in our na-tion at this time in our history; on

one side are those favoring abor-tion, assisted suicide and genetic engineering for “good” purposes – the old position that “the end justifies the means.”

On the other side are those of us who believe that nature’s God made all human life to be sacred, from the moment of conception to its natural end.

“It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we not dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.”

We can compose essays about the heroism of men and women in harm’s way, but it will be for his-torians and theologians 100 years from now to decide whether the wars we embarked upon in Kosovo an in Iraq were justifiable.

All we can say with certainty now is that some young people believed so much in their country that they were willing to pay the full price to achieve its goals; they paid with their lives. May they rest forever in their Maker’s arms.

“The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have conse-crated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here.”

President Lincoln had no idea how his words would be cherished, and how his own personal “ulti-mate sacrifice” would so endear him down through the ages.

“It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.”

For some time to come, the United State of America will be the world’s only superpower. We should pray that we Americans use that power intelligently and merci-fully; that we understand that such power comes from the all-powerful God who watches over all of us.

“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remain-ing before us – that from these honored dead we take increased de-votion to that cause for which they

gave the last full measure of devo-tion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

To borrow from poet Robert Frost, “There are miles to go before we sleep.” The vestiges of racism remain like dirty spots on our liv-ing room carpet and too many of our people are in poverty and do not share in the American dream. It is for us to make that dream come true in a meaningful way that does not patronize nor use for po-litical gain the people we are trying to help achieve a foothold in this “shining city on the hill,” as former president Ronald Reagan liked to characterize our country.

Finally, let us never be afraid to say, “God bless America.”

The late Jerry Range was an Ohio newspaperman.

More Than a Century later, Lincoln’s Compelling Words Still Ring True

By Jerry Range


VETERAN OWNED

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that it will temporarily sus-pend discharges and decreases in level of support from its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers because of continued concerns expressed by Veterans, caregivers and advocates about inconsistent application of eligibility requirements by VA medical centers.

“It is essential that we get this right,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This affects one of our most vulnerable Veteran popula-tions and we need to make sure we have consistency on how we process and evaluate benefit applications across VA.”

The suspension does not impact the current application process.

VA medical centers are continuing to accept and approve applications to the family caregivers program based on current eligibility criteria along with processing appeals and monitoring eligible Veterans’ well-being at least every 90 days, unless otherwise clinically indicated.

Termination of benefits exempt-ed from the suspension include those made at the request of the

Veteran or caregiver, by the local Caregiver Support Program for cause or noncompliance or due to death, permanent institutionaliza-tion or long-term hospitalization of a Veteran or caregiver.

In addition to initiating an internal review, VA will continue to solicit feedback from external stakeholders. VA is reviewing policy changes as well as pursuing

long-term legislative and regula-tory changes.

The VA Caregiver Support Program has aided more than 38,000 family caregivers since 2011. Participating families receive an average monthly stipend rang-ing from $660 to $2,600, based on the level of assistance required by the Veteran and the geographic lo-cation of the Veteran and caregiver.

Participating caregivers also receive access to health care if the caregiver does not have insurance, assistance with travel related to care of the Veterans, mental health care and additional service and support.

For more information about the VA caregiver program, visit www.caregiver.va.gov.

VA announces moratorium on discharges and decreases from comprehensive caregiver program

“This affects one of our most vulnerable Veteran populations and we need to make sure we have consistency

on how we process and evaluate benefit applications across VA.”

VA Secretary Robert Wilkie


In boot camp at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, long marches did not faze Gabriel Tolliver; he was

used to toting a backpack for miles around New York City. Tolliver didn’t object to his nickname, either. At age 41, “Geezer” was older than recruits and drill sergeants alike.

It was 2007 and the Army had expanded its enlistment age.

“The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had heated up,” the Cleveland resident said. “The Army was looking for bodies.”

Tolliver, who grew up in Shaker Heights, had been working in New York as a freelancer in film and television. He came from a military family and considered enlisting when his career stalled.

Although he had two college degrees, the middle-aged recruit did not want to be an officer. He instead searched for - and found - a MOS that matched his background.

“I signed up to be a ’46 Romeo,’ a broadcast journalist,” he said.

After advanced training at the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland, Tolliver was as-signed to the 22nd MPAD (Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

He deployed to Afghanistan in September 2009, flying out of Pope Air Force Base.

“We were walking down the

tarmac,” Tolliver said, describing his departure. “We have our rucks on. We have our weapons.”

As the single file reached the plane, a group of aging veterans handed each soldier a tiny folded American flag.

“They were there for us,” Tolliver said. “I just don’t have enough words to say how profound that was. I kept that flag always in my breast pocket throughout my deployment.”

Stationed at Kandahar Air Field,

Tolliver and a teammate traveled by helicopter to forward operating bases. They filmed short docu-mentaries of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry as they trained and mentored Afghan troops. The two Americans estab-lished a comfortable rapport with the Canadians, who soon requested them by name. The battlefield was everywhere. Tolliver and his buddy reached for their weapons, not their cameras, when the Taliban opened fire from a vineyard.

For another assignment, Tolliver covered the detonation of captured or damaged ammunition by British, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force explo-sive ordinance teams, groups that usually operated separately.

“They had this competition among themselves of who could do the best ‘boom,’” Tolliver said.

The footage included a reservist from Cincinnati who was killed a couple of days later.

“We made sure his unit and his family got the piece,” Tolliver said.

From Afghanistan, Tolliver returned to Fort Bragg. He was dis-charged in April 2011 and eventu-ally settled in Cleveland.

During his deployment, the journalist wrote Embrace the Suck: 366 Days of Courage, Strength, Inspiration, Wisdom and Hope, available in Kindle and paperback through amazon.com. He is cur-rently writing a half hour pilot script for the Veterans Writing Project sponsored by the Writers Guild Foundation. Its protagonist is a soldier who returns from Afghanistan with super powers.

Tolliver is grateful for his Army stint as a video journalist.

“I had the opportunity to see the spectrum of the battle space, to be out there to tell the soldiers’ story and document history,” he said.

‘Geezer’ Recruit Documented Soldier Experience in Afghanistan

By Jerri Donohue

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History in the making as the National Veterans Memorial and Museum opened its door October 27, 2018, Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Al Burzynski, APR

In 2012, former Ohio senator John Glenn had a vision for a national memorial and museum

that would document the stories of veterans in a personal way by including their experiences during and after their respective military careers.

Glenn, a former Marine pilot, would be proud of the new National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus. The museum, which opened last October, tells the personal stories of veterans in a unique fashion and includes memo-rabilia, letters, photos, interactive touch-screens, video clips and over 150 artifacts, including an 1852 military sword.

The facility honors veterans who served from the Revolutionary War up to present day with over $82 million raised for construc-tion costs and an endowment. The 53,000-square foot structure has a modern look with a circular design and an adjacent outdoor 2.5-acre memorial grove serves as a peaceful site for remembrance. The grove is lined with Elm trees and has a 325-foot stone wall with cascading water and a reflective pool.

“What makes the Memorial and Museum so special is that the core pillar is focused solely on the

story of the veteran,” said museum President and CEO General Michael Ferriter, U.S. Army (Ret.). “Every veteran and family member will see themselves here in the films, exhib-its, artifacts and images.”

The museum features 14 alcoves that chronicle the lives of veterans on and off the battlefield and visi-tors have the opportunity to share their own stories thanks to an on-site audio-video booth.

As a living tribute to the more than 40 million Americans who

have served the nation since its founding as well as the over 20 mil-lion living veterans throughout the United States, the museum has four goals – to honor all American vet-erans for their military service, the connect civilians with veterans and their experiences, to inspire visi-tors to serve their communities and nation and the educate schoolchil-dren about the history and value of service.

The museum’s 14 thematic al-coves highlight key moments in the

lives of veterans by incorporating their personal stories. A linear Timeline provides a chronologi-cal journey and a legacy of service exhibit tells inspirational stories of the ways veterans are using the values and skills learned in service to benefit their communities.

“We’ve seen people from all cor-ners of our country walk through the museum,” said Gen. Ferriter. “Just as importantly, the museum needs to get out to the country through technology and traveling exhibits.”

A Service and Citizenship Gallery is the emotional core of the mu-seum, exploring the higher ideals of service. On the museum’s mezza-nine level, a Remembrance Gallery provides and area for reflection and recollection for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice with a floor-to-ceiling stained glass installation inspired by military campaign ribbons.

Designed by the architecture and design firm of Allied Works, the memorial and museum is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday and is open on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. For more information, call 614-362-2800 or visit www.nationalvmm.org.

New Columbus museum a living tribute to veterans

By Barry Goodrich


Navy nurse Nada Fleming completed her 12-hour shift at Fleet Hospital 6 on the

island of Bahrain, changed out of her work clothes and embarked on a brisk walk to fulfill her physical fit-ness requirement.

Then she noticed an enormous red ball in the distance.

“Oh, my God! It’s a missile,” Fleming shouted.

Erected in January 1991 during Desert Storm, the hospital consist-ed of 27 tents. Now Fleming and another nurse rushed mobile pa-tients into the nearest solid struc-ture, a freestanding bathroom.

Fortunately, the missile landed nowhere near them.

“Those SCUD missiles were wild,” the Seven Hills resident said.

Fleming’s military service had begun with two years of active duty (1973-1975) at Great Lakes Naval Hospital where she trained corps-men and oversaw the care of pa-tients returning from Vietnam and the Philippines. At the end of her enlistment, she married, continued her nursing career and eventually joined the Navy reserves. For al-most 19 years, she spent two weeks annually at stations around the country.

During her Gulf War deploy-ment, the surgical nurse worked

long shifts six days a week, but she managed to visit the marketplace in Manama, Bahrain’s capital. Sensitive to the local culture, she and other Western women donned clothing that covered their arms and legs and wore nothing embel-lished with writing, not even the names of sports teams. To her sur-prise, residents applauded, waved and flashed the victory sign at the Americans.

“They did not like what Saddam was doing,” she said.

While she was overseas, Fleming’s MetroHealth coworkers mailed her an album of photos of themselves holding signs with mes-sages like “Be Safe” and “We Miss You.”

Their kindness helped Fleming stay connected to home.

“It just brightened up my day,” she said. “It made it easier to be there. I still have it.”

Fleming returned to the States at the end of March 1991. Teenagers when she deployed, her sons later followed her into military service; one enlisted in the Navy, while the other chose the Army.

In 1996, Fleming joined VFW Post 7609 in Seven Hills. Since then, her numerous projects have ranged from organizing the Memorial Day parade to

distributing essay contest applica-tions to eight area schools. When a bomb destroyed a women’s bar-racks in Iraq, its occupants lost all their belongings. Fleming immedi-ately parried a $200 cash donation into $1500 of replacement supplies. Businesses offered generous dis-counts on items like antibacterial hand wipes and her co-workers at MetroHealth donated shampoo, lo-tion and other toiletries.

Fleming was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in 2008 because of her volunteerism.

She currently serves as her post’s vice-commander. Its 50-person membership includes two other women.

The veteran’s parents came to the United States from Yugoslavia after World War II, and they instilled in her a keen appreciation for the freedoms many Americans take for granted. Fleming remembers this when she addresses high school and grade school classes about her mili-tary experience.

“This freedom didn’t come easy,” Fleming tells the students.

Navy Nurse Recalls SCUD Missile, Welcoming CiviliansBy Jerri Donohue

Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem.

Ronald Reagan

If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn't plan your mission properly.

David Hackworth

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.

Napoleon Bonaparte


On a dark, snowy mountain-top in Afghanistan in 2002, combat controller Technical

Sgt. John Chapman roused himself from unconsciousness. He was alone on the Takur Ghar mountaintop before dawn, bleeding from several gunshot wounds, and for almost an hour, ferociously fought the al Qaida fighters surrounding him on three sides.

A Chinook helicopter carrying Army Rangers approached, and a group of militants took aim at it with rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

What Chapman did next cost him his life — but the military believes his actions also saved the lives of the Rangers. Now, after 16 long years, Chapman’s heroism on Takur Ghar was honored in a White House ceremony when President Trump posthumously awarded him the Medal of Honor.

It represents the culmination of a long journey for Chapman’s family and friends, and the Air Force as a whole. Chapman, of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, who was 36 when he died, is the first airman to receive the nation’s highest award for valor for actions taken since the Vietnam War.

But figuring out what happened to Chapman on that 11,000-foot-high mountaintop in the early morning of March 4, 2002 — even confirming exactly when he died — has been difficult for the mili-tary. It’s led to some tough, pain-ful questions about whether the Navy SEALs who fought alongside Chapman left him behind, mistak-enly believing he was dead when they withdrew under heavy fire.

A key piece of evidence sup-porting the Air Force’s case that Chapman did not die within min-utes of the SEAL team’s arrival on the mountaintop, but instead later regained consciousness and made a furious last stand by himself, was the grainy video feed from an MQ-1 Predator that flew overhead. This is the first time a Medal of Honor has been awarded based in large part on an analysis of video evidence.

In a briefing at the Pentagon, a special tactics officer who worked on the 17-person team examining

Chapman’s case walked report-ers through the video and how the Air Force evaluated the evidence during an extensive 30-month review process.

Besides the Predator video, the evidence included tes-timony from his SEAL team-mates and other troops, as well as ISR records and air crew testimony from an AC-130 known as Grim 32, which had “eyes on” for the entire engagement.

There were also observations from five members of an Army and Air Force reconnaissance team on the next mountaintop about four kilometers away, using high-pow-ered optics and monitoring radio chatter from Chapman himself and enemy fighters, and mission logs. Also central was Chapman’s autopsy report, which showed he sustained bruising and cuts on his face, a broken nose and other inju-ries indicating he engaged in fero-cious hand-to-hand combat.

The Battle of Takur Ghar was part of Operation Anaconda, a joint operation combining conventional forces and special operators that was one of the first major engage-ments of the Afghanistan War.

Chapman’s team, Mako 30, was one of several ordered to set up reconnaissance positions on mountaintops so as to provide overwatch and close-air support to conventional forces below. The team of SEALs helicoptered toward a mountaintop they thought was unoccupied, but it turned out to be “a hornet’s nest of enemy activity” and “basically their headquarters, or their strong point,” the special tactics officer said.

The al Qaida fighters unleashed a barrage of fire on their Chinook, code-named Razor 03, which was struck by multiple RPGs. One of

the SEALs on his team, Petty Officer 1st Class Neil Roberts, was thrown from the back into the snow below before the helicopter crash-landed about five miles away.

The team — headed by Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt Slabinsky, the retired Navy SEAL who him-self received the Medal of Honor

for this battle — quickly decided that Roberts’ only chance of sur-vival would be if they got another helicopter and returned to rescue him.

“They knew it had a significant chance to be a one-way mission, but they felt like that was the only chance Roberts would have to survive,” the special tactics officer said. Unfortunately and unbeknownst to them, Roberts had already been killed about an hour before they returned.

As the team expected, the heavily armed al Qaida fighters were pre-pared when they returned and once

again met them with withering fire. But this time, they were able to get on the mountaintop. It was before dawn. They trudged through thigh-deep snow, wearing night vision goggles, in the “bottom of a fish-bowl, surrounded on three sides by enemy with overwatching positions that are shooting down with ma-chine guns, RPGs, heavy fire.”

Chapman led the charge without hesitation.

“He runs essentially straight up a steep mountain into the direction of enemy fire,” the special tactics officer said.

Video excerpts from the Takur Ghar battle, show the SEALs and Chapman emerging from their Chinook, Razor 04, at 4:27 a.m. A green circle superimposed on a blurry, pixelated figure shows how Chapman pressed on toward two chest-deep pillbox-like bunkers housing several al Qaida fighters.

Chapman burst into the first bunker, killed the two enemies there in close-quarters combat and seized it. He could have stayed safe within its hardened walls, which provided plenty of cover. But instead he emerged to assault the machine gun nest in the second nearby bunker, suppressing its fire and allowing his SEAL teammates to move forward.

‘How incredible the sacrifice’In the chaos of an Afghanistan battle, John Chapman’s heroism was clear

By: Stephen Losey

Continued on page 16

1230 N Abbe Rd., Elyria, OH 44035 • LorainCountyVeterans.com

SERVICES ARE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE TO VETERANS OF LORAIN COUNTY ONLY

A morning shuttle is available to Wade Park & Parma. Home pick-ups are provided to the VA Clinic in Sheffield Village. Availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Wheelchair accessible service is available.

TO SCHEDULE A RIDE CALL440.284.4624

TEMPORARYFINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

May be available to Vets or their widow, who show a need and meet eligibility requirements. Applications are by appointment only.

VA CLAIMS ASSISTANCEService Officers advise/assist Vets & their family of their rights and/or obtaining possible benefits through the VA, the State of Ohio and Lorain County.

RESOURCE ROOMOur clients are able to utilize computers, get on-line and/or print documents. We also send faxes and provide a notary.

Departs LCVSO ...... 7:15 a.m.*1Departs JFS ........... 7:30 a.m.*1Departs VH ............ 7:45 a.m.*1Departs Elyria ....... 8:00 a.m.*1Arrives W/P ............ 9:15 a.m.*2Departs W/P .......... 3:00 p.m.*3Arrives LCVSO ....... 4:30 p.m.*3

PICK-UP & DROP OFF LOCATIONSLCVSO: 1230 Abbe Rd., Elyria

JFS (Jobs & Family Services): 42495 North Ridge Rd.VH (Valor Home): 221 W 20th St., Lorain.

Elyria: Admin. Bldg., 226 Middle Ave.

*1 May depart earlier if all riders are present.*2 Approx. time, add 20-30 min. if shuttle goes to Parma.*3 May depart earlier if all riders are done with their appts.

TRANSPORTATION to VA Medical Appointments

14 DD 214 Chronicle January/February 2019 www.dd214chronicle.com✩

Companies Help Vets Go to WorkNavigating in Uncharted Waters

It can be pretty daunting [for vet-erans] to find and build a career,” says Sid Goodfriend, chairman

and founder of American Corporate Partners. He founded the nonprofit in 2008 with the mission of helping military service members find their next career through one-on-one mentoring, networking and online career advice.

Goodfriend’s aim is shared by many business leaders and retired veterans who have created organi-zations and corporations that set up programs and tools to ease the transition.

“We do more than hire veter-ans,” says Michelle Kuranty, head of military-veteran recruiting at JPMorgan Chase. “We also help them acclimate [to the workplace] and grow in their professions.”

JPMorgan Chase is one of 230 private-sector companies that be-long to the Veterans Jobs Mission. This has helped more than 430,000

honorably discharged and retired members of the armed services.

So whether you are just begin-ning your transition from the service or have been working in the civilian world for some time and feel disconnected or underem-ployed, there’s help available.

Here are some places to find it:

American Corporate Partners(ACP-USA.org)It’s like Big Brothers or Big Sisters for veterans. ACP helps post-Sept. 11 veterans and those transition-ing from the military by pairing them with mentors from companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson and Morgan Stanley, among others, for a one-year period.

While ACP’s purpose is career exploration, as opposed to job placement, more than 1,500 of the 13,000 participants have landed

jobs via connections made at ACP. The average salary is $83,000. Interested post-Sept. 11 veterans should apply at ACP’s Web site.

The organization says that all veterans, provided they are “po-lite, professional, enthusiastic and responsive” are connected to a mentor, though it can take four to six weeks from sign-up to start because ACP wants to ensure a good protégé/mentor fit. Those in-terested in being mentors can also apply on the site.

Google(Google.com)Google makes it easier for veterans to pair their experience in the mili-tary to jobs in the civilian world by typing “ jobs for veterans” in the Google search bar.

The landing page then provides a box where you can enter your spe-cific military job code (MOS, AFSC, NEC, etc.) to surf civilian jobs that require similar skills to those used in the service.

Google has shared this capabil-ity with employers such as FedEx and Siemens among others, so you might find the same box on their veterans landing pages. For those who want to search for jobs at specific companies using their military-job codes, entering a com-pany’s name, “ jobs” and “veterans” into Google might point you to sites with the feature.

Veteran Jobs Mission(VeteranJobsMission.com)This site has a button that opens the secret door to “veteran-only” job sites at more than 200 companies including Accenture, JPMorgan Chase, Pfizer, Realogy and Verizon. While some of the landing pages ask you to search for jobs in much the same way you would on Monster.com or Indeed.com, others, such as Verizon, invite you to join their military-talent network.

Once you do, a veteran-recruit-ment specialist is assigned to coach you in your job search. They will even go as far as helping you cre-ate a resume that appeals to hiring managers.

VetMatch(Veterans2Work.org)Think Match.com for veterans and

employers. Start by completing a free, 20-minute online survey, VetMatch. Veterans2Work then crunches the data and applies predictive analytics to create a “Personal Career Report & Success Profile” based on your native strengths (not just your military experience) and recommend the best fit for civilian-career options.LinkedIn for Veterans(Veterans.LinkedIn.com)If you believe that it’s not what you know but who you know, then LinkedIn for Veterans may be your ticket. The program offers a one-time, free premium membership to eligible veterans and enlisted service members. Benefits include an opportunity to connect to a wide array of professionals who belong to LinkedIn and may be willing to provide an inside scoop on various professions, serve as mini-mentors, or even introduce you to members of their networks.

LinkedIn also offers a group, Veterans Mentor Network (you must be a LinkedIn member to join) where veterans support each other through their transitions from the service.

LinkedIn has also recognized that military spouses often find it hard to find work and grow their careers when their partners’ careers require frequent reloca-tions. So last summer, they began a program specifically for them. It includes a free, one-year premium membership which can be renewed, without charge, with every major relocation. The service might also help spouses identify jobs that allow remote, flexible working locations so that there may not be a need to change jobs each time there’s a move to a new area.


BW offers a great adult learning community and all the resources of one of “America’s Best Colleges.”• Choose from programs for bachelor degree completion,

accelerated BSN, Physician Assistant, MBA, or MAEd.

• Classes are offered in Berea and at Corporate College East. Some courses are available online.

• Your DD214 gives you up to 25 hours of college credit. Other military training and previous college credit may count toward degree requirements.

• Post 9/11 Veterans: BW is proud to be part of the Yellow Ribbon program. Your G.I. Bill benefits may make your BW education tuition free!

Contact an admission counselor today!Go to www.bw.edu/military or call 440-826-8012.

Are you ready to continue your education?

VETERAN + STUDENT

Baldwin Wallace does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, age, disability, national origin, gender or sexual orientation in the administration of any policies or programs.

Community West Foundation is a local philan thropic organiza-tion dedicated to supporting

organiza tions that provide the basic needs of food, clothing, and medi-cal care to the most needy in and around Western Cuyahoga County.

The Foundation approaches phi-lanthropy with imag ination and en-courages efforts to strengthen the health and well being of our com-munity by raising awareness of the issues that affect us all – including homelessness.

For many people in our com-munity, homelessness is very real, and the largest growing segment is families with children who do not have a place to call home. The plight of the homeless is an issue

that the Foundation cares deeply about and they have taken a proac-tive posi tion in helping the least of our brothers and sisters.

After learning that socks are the most requested item among homeless people, the Sock sPLUS Program at Community West Foundation was created. The proj-ect collects socks, plus many of the other necessities that our home less neighbors need most.

SocksPLUS has evoked emotion, impact and action. It has grown from an idea into a community movement. A network of “Tribes”

have believed in and supported this effort to provide for our homeless neighbors. Hun dreds of people have joined Community West Founda-tion - our neighbors, community partners, businesses, faith based organizations, schools, civic organi-zations, and so many more.

A gift of just $10.00 will help pur-chase 10 pairs of socks. A larger do-nation provides socks PLUS gloves, hats, shoes, boots, backpacks, and other necessities that are so des-perately needed. And, when you support Sock sPLUS, 100% of your donation is used immediately to

provide caring assistance to our struggling neighbors.

The call to love our neighbor is universal and those fac ing home-lessness need our help desperately – not only at the holiday season, but all year round. You can become part of this movement to bring hope and comfort to the home less. Start your own tribe or donate today. Learn more about SocksPLUS at www.communitywestfoundation.org.

Join the mission of the Community West Foundation to ad-vance the health and well being of our community.To learn more about the Community West Foundation call 440-360-7370 or visit www.communitywestfoundation.org.

SocksPLUS Program Helps the Homeless

Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or

concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership. – Colin Powell


MAPS Air Museum HistoryMAPS Air Museum is an interna-tionally known museum of aviation and serves as a center of aviation history for Northeast Ohio. The museum features exciting educa-tional displays of its collection of acquired artifacts, interactive ex-hibits and historical archives in its own library.

Demonstrations are an active part of an aircraft restoration facility, with technical training af-forded all personnel.

MAPS raises awareness of military aircraft through special programming at the museum, visitation to schools and groups in the area, as well as participation in aviation events.

The museum will serve as a meet-ing center benefiting the communi-ty through involvement in various outside local activities.

You feel it when you first step into the hangar. Here, you are sur-rounded by extraordinary aircraft. From the earliest days of flying to supersonic jets, each aircraft is significant in its contribution to aviation history. This is where you can see aircraft that helped to win wars, push the boundries of flight and change the face of society.

History is not made by airplanes, but by the men and women who designed, built and flew them. Our “Gallery of Heroes” gives you the stories of many of these people: of their sacrifices and their

achievements. You can even see a relic from the USS Arizona, sunk by a Japanese air attack at Pearl Harbor.

Our tour guides will enhance your visit with interesting back-ground about our displays. Who knows? They may even share some of their experiences with you. Ask about tours of the restoration area of the museum.

Whether you have an hour or a whole day, there’s something for you at MAPS.

Where History Takes Flight!Goal of providing entertaining

education to the public:Our mission is to educate the

public on the History of Aviation and its impact on man. To ac-complish this mission, we acquire,

restore and display aircraft and memorabilia associated with avia-tion. We have developed programs with many organizations to im-prove the visibility of museum. 2260 International Parkway North Canton, OH 44720(330) [email protected]

That’s when Chapman was first wounded. The SEALs later described seeing him go down and the laser sight from his rifle, which was laying across his prone body, moving up and down with his labored breathing. Before long, they saw the laser stop moving and believed he had died.

Under heavy fire, the SEALs moved back to a ridgeline and continued firing until they were pushed down the mountaintop, the special tactics officer said.

Chapman’s three actions up to that point — his voluntary deci-sion to return with the rest of the SEALs to try to rescue Roberts, his charge into withering fire and

seizure of the bunker, and his risky emergence from the first bunker’s cover to assault the second bunker — were, alone, enough to merit the posthumous award in early 2003 of the Air Force Cross, the second-highest award for valor an airman can receive. Written testimony from four of his teammates was key to his initial award.

Even with a limited amount of available information on the still-highly classified mission, several members of the decorations board that reviewed Chapman’s case in July 2002 were stunned by his heroism and questioned why he was not up for the Medal of Honor.

“If this doesn’t rate a MoH, what does?” one board member wrote.

But Chapman’s story didn’t end there — he did much more.

Back in the fightChapman was not dead, but in-

stead unconscious and temporarily incapacitated. He awoke after a few minutes, and continued fighting the enemy in the second bunker about 10 meters away for the next hour, the special tactics officer said. There was also another group of al Qaida on top of a ridge, heav-ily armed with RPGs.

A third Chinook, Razor 01, car-rying a quick reaction force of Rangers and special tactics airmen approached shortly after 5:40 a.m. The al Qaida fighters on the ridge start to take aim with their RPGs at Razor 01. The sun had risen.

It’s impossible to know what was going through Chapman’s head at that point, but the special tactics officer believes he realized the Rangers would have a better chance of survival if he could sup-press that RPG fire.

Chapman once again ran out from the safety of his bunker, into broad daylight. He placed himself in-between the bunker — with his back to the machine gun within — and the fighters on the ridge, and began firing.

“When he stood up and got out of the bunker, I don’t think he imagined he was going to survive,” the special tactics officer said.

Continued from page 12


Call LCCC’s Veterans Service Center at 440-366-7685 or visit www.lorainccc.edu/veterans or email our office at [email protected].

It’s Your Future. Get Started Now!Veterans Service Centerat Lorain County Community College

The Student Veterans and Military Members Center at LCCC assists all veterans, guardsmen, reservists and their dependents transitioning to a successful educational career. You’ve done your duty, now let us help you prepare for your future.

LCCC’s Veterans Service Center is a one-stop shop where you can:• Learn how to maximize your veteran’s benefits• Learn about other scholarships available• Talk with a Veterans Certifying Official• Meet with a Counselor• Explore all that LCCC has to offer

“LCCC was my best choice because I knew

there was a military and veterans

presence here.”

Anna Lupson, Navy veteran and LCCC

psychology student who is using her

veterans benefits to attend school. She

plans to continue her education through

LCCC’s University Partnership program.

LCCC Veterans ad July August 2016 ad.indd 1 6/6/16 2:21 PM

A new study finds that consuming alcoholic beverages daily—even at low levels that meet U.S. guidelines for safe drinking—appears to be “detrimental” to health.

The researchers found that downing one to two drinks at least four days per week was linked to a 20 percent increase in the risk of premature death, compared with drinking three times a week or less. The finding was consis-tent across the group of more than 400,000 people studied. They ranged in age from 18 to 85, and many were Veterans.

Dr. Sarah Hartz, a psychiatrist at the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System, led the study. It appeared in November 2018 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. She’s not too surprised by the findings, noting that two large international studies published this year reached similar conclusions.

Mounting evidence that light drinking isn’t good for your health“There has been mounting evidence that finds light drinking isn’t

good for your health,” says Hartz, who is also an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

Study considered a range of demographic factorsThe study results don’t necessarily prove cause and effect. People who

tend to drink more may indeed end up having shorter lives—but not neces-sarily because of more alcohol consumption. It could be, for example, that those people have harder lives all around, with more stress, which takes a toll on health and longevity. But the researchers did control for a range of demographic factors and health diagnoses to try to tease out the direct ef-fects of alcohol.

Another limitation of the study is that it relied on in-person self-reports of alcohol use. Researchers believe this method may lead to

under-reporting, compared with anonymous surveys.But relative to some past studies that found health benefits from light-

to-moderate drinking, the new study looked at a much larger population. This allowed Hartz’s team to better distinguish between groups of drink-ers, in terms of quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption.

“We’re seeing things that we didn’t before because we have access to such large data sets,” she says. “In the past, we couldn’t distinguish between these drinking amounts. The larger the data set, the more statistical power you have and the easier it is to make conclusions.”

94,000 VA outpatient records part of studyThe researchers reviewed two data sets of self-reported alcohol use and

mortality follow-up. One set included more than 340,000 people from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The other contained nearly 94,000 VA outpatient medical records. Health and survival were tracked between seven and 10 years.

According to the findings, people who drank four or more times a week, even when limiting it to only a drink or two, had about a 20 percent greater risk of dying during the study period.

As part of the study, Hartz and her team specifically evaluated deaths due to heart disease and cancer. For heart disease, they found a benefit to drinking, specifically that one to two drinks per day about four days a week seemed to protect against death from heart disease. But drinking every day eliminated those benefits. In terms of death from cancer, any drinking was “detrimental,” she says.

Current CDC guidelines call for alcohol to be used “in moderation—up to two drinks a day for men and up to one drink a day for women.” The guide-lines don’t recommend that people who do not drink should start doing so for any reason.

VA-led study asks: Is alcohol healthy?Study suggests even light drinking can shorten life


He served his country with honor, now he needs your help.

Community Service Alliance

Fulton House3387 Fulton RoadCleveland, OH 44109

216.351.0655

For more information or to donate online, you can visit comservealliance.org

Community Service Alliance serves northern Ohio veterans emerging from homelessness. These veterans need our support.This holiday season, help a veteran by donating to Community Service Alliance. Your gift is 100% tax deductible.

No veteran should be homeless.

We provide two basic services:

1. Temporary emergency financial aid and assistance to eligible veterans and family members who have demonstrated a need as set forth by the Commission.2. Assist veterans, family members and survivors when applying to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for benefits.

Our assistance includes but is not limited to:• Financial Assistance:• Rent and mortgage payments• Utilities: Gas, Electric and Water• Food and personal Hygiene items• Certain Medical• Transportation to and from VA Medical Centers in Cleveland (Louis Stokes

Hospital), Parma and Akron CBOC’s, Ohio• Grave markers and flags• Free Notary for Veterans & Families

Service Assistance:• Preparations of forms and paperwork• Documentation of claims and pertinent data• Proper submission of claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs thru a

service organization• Submission for awards decorations and medals• Notary Public & DD 214 Certification

Our services are FREE of charge!

Contact us:210 Northland Dr. ‐Medina, Ohio [email protected]

www.medinacountyveterans.org

Our PledgeWhen you come into the County Veterans Service Office you will be assisted by one of our knowledgeable associates. The people that work in the Medina County Veterans Service Office have a compassionate understanding of the problems which confront veterans, widows,widowers, and their families.

Sincerely,Veterans Service Staff

This year’s “Management Top 250,” published by The Wall

Street Journal, ranks the best run U.S. companies based on

customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development,

innovation, social responsibility and financial strength. Dominion

Energy was ranked as the top electric and gas utility. And

military publication G.I. Jobs ranks Dominion Energy top in our

industry and 5th among all U.S. companies. It marks the 10th

consecutive year Dominion Energy has been recognized as a

military-friendly company. So to each and every one of our 16,000+

dedicated employees, THANK YOU for your commitment to

excellence, your dedication to community and most of all for the

energy you bring to this company each and every day.

SADDIQ K. HOLLIDAY

TECHNICAL SERGEANT— AIR NATIONAL GUARD

HUMAN RESOURCES— DOMINION ENERGY

Dominion Energy has been named America’s best managed electric

and gas company.

It helps when 1 in 5 new hires is a veteran.

Careers.DominionEnergy.com

january/february 2019 - dd214...

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